Phase-conjugate interferometric coherent image subtraction
US4718749A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 17, 1986 |
| Grant date | Jan 12, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 17, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06E3/001
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A phase conjugate interferometer includes a source of coherent light and a first beam splitter for dividing the coherent light into a transmitted portion and a reflected portion. A second beam splitter is positioned to divide the transmitted portion into an outgoing transmitted beam and an outgoing reflected beam, with the outgoing transmitted beam oriented to pass through the first image and the outgoing reflected beam oriented to pass through the second image. A phase-conjugate reflector is positioned to reflect the outgoing transmitted beam as a first incoming beam and the outgoing reflected beam as a second incoming beam. The incoming beams are directed toward the second beam splitter, which divides the incoming beams into a first combined beam and a second combined beam. The second combined beam is directed toward the first beam splitter, which divides the second combined beam into a third combined beam and a transmitted beam. With this arrangement, the first combined beam contains the difference between the intensities of the first and second images and the third combined beam contains the sum of the intensities of the first and second images.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.